A conventional runner R slidably held on a central shaft S of an umbrella as shown in FIG. 1 includes a steel wire W fastened on the runner for pivotally securing a plurality of ribs B of the umbrella. The ends of the twisted wire knot K may prick the umbrella user or factory worker. A spring catch C resiliently protruded from the shaft S for locking the runner R when opening the umbrella may also injure a user's finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,699 disclosed a safety runner having a U-shaped cap (3) sheltering the wire end of the steel wire secured on the runner for preventing fingers from being injured. However, a worker for assembling the cap (3) on the runner may still be pricked or injured by the wire end. The cap (3) also forms an abrupt extension unsymmetric and unharmonious to the runner ferrule, thereby affecting its esthetic ornamental function. Meanwhile, there is still no protection formed on the runner for sheltering the spring catch as resiliently held on the umbrella shaft.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional safety runner and invented the present safety runner for umbrella.